For needs filter threads, lets you jot down what filter you want to setup
For must-do/urgent/backlog/blocked, let's you write what action needs taking for that thread so you don't have to reread the thread to remember why you needed to do more work on it.
If we have the note override the subject line in the threadlist, then this doubles as a way of making the threadlist rows not be stuck with the subject line of the original message. Git-style, we can make the first line of the note be what is shown as the subject.
A couple use cases: